tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79572457245178489092012-01-23T23:59:21.719-07:00A creative outlet for a busy personNikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.comBlogger841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-19214789755526404782011-09-23T23:41:00.000-06:002012-01-23T23:42:36.308-07:00

  Photos by White House of Birches Yippee! This is my first pattern "Bobbles Beyond Compare" that was picked up to appear in a book: Cable Ready - A Collection of 10 easy-to-master cable knitting projects. It's a great first cable and bobble project with super bulky yarn that will work up really quickly. The great thing about this scarf is that you will work only one cable twist and one

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-72811519118460828862011-09-13T23:21:00.000-06:002012-01-23T23:22:25.363-07:00

I was super busy at the beginning of the year with design submissions for the Fall season. Luckily this design was a super fast knit that is now out in Interweave Knits Weekend 2011 issue or as an individual pattern for download in the Interweave store. Photos by Interweave Knits The bag is knit in Lion Brand's Wool-Ease Thick & Quick which is a super chunky yarn. It makes for a no-nonsense

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-67628556117538912292011-09-06T22:54:00.000-06:002012-01-23T23:24:14.006-07:00

My super warm Rowan Cocoon coat design is out in the Creative Knitting Magazine September 2011 issue! Yippee! Ooh, if you have not yet touched the Rowan Cocoon yarn, you are missing out on a treat. It is such an buttery soft yarn that you just wish your project would never end...well, you do want to finish but at the same time you don't want to let go of this yarn... Photo by DRG You might

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0Broomfield, CO 80021, USA39.9205411 -105.086650439.8231181 -105.2445789 40.0179641 -104.9287219tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-74698359910714767272011-08-01T02:54:00.000-06:002011-10-21T15:11:20.037-06:00

I LOVE hats! I wish more ladies would wear hats. Men and boys can wear their baseball caps, but ladies, well, I think we can do better. :) I have my "workhorse" straw hat that goes with me everywhere but I needed a light summer hat to wear with a summer dress. I had my eyes on the "Picture Hat" pattern from the book "A Gathering of Lace" for quite a while already. But there was always

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-6760434276455609122011-07-09T01:18:00.000-06:002011-09-16T01:28:02.092-06:00

Huch, it's been a while since I posted last! And it's not because I have nothing to say but rather because it has been a very busy time - summer break. Well, it's not my summer break but my kid's long summer school break - 2 1/2 months! Which means, I am going to be super busy keeping the kids entertained and occupied while still trying to get work done and some knitting. Or so supermom thinks..

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0State Highway 121 & U.S. 287, Broomfield, CO 80020, USA39.918952788337236 -105.0907516479492239.89459678833724 -105.13023364794923 39.943308788337234 -105.05126964794921tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-84693653811237322552011-05-26T21:52:00.002-06:002012-01-23T23:24:33.174-07:00

I am so excited to introduce to you my latest design, the "#25 Cabled Poncho" that was picked up by Vogue Knitting Early Fall 2011! Vogue Knitting Early Fall 2011, photo by Rose Callahan Currently you can enjoy a Vogue Knitting 360 view video of this design. This is my first design for Vogue Knitting so that I am totally excited about this great opportunity and exposure I received. Yippee!

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-71817603530427839492011-05-16T00:42:00.005-06:002012-01-23T23:25:05.375-07:00

As mentioned before, I've already had some yarn in my stash earmarked for this flower stole for myself. photo by NikkisStudio I had a couple of skeins of Cherry Tree Hill Pima Bunny Bulky (80% cotton, 20% angora; 155 yds/142 m per 3.5 oz/100 g; bulky/12 ply/7 wpi) in Boysenberry and Sunnyside that would make for a bright Spring time stole. But because I had only two different colorways I did

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-34419021066597625202011-05-10T23:56:00.001-06:002012-01-23T23:25:16.094-07:00

I was really busy for this issue of Interweave Knits Summer 2011 because I have two designs appearing in it! :D This first one is titled "Pebble and Reed Tunic" and is a great summer tunic with 3/4 length sleeves that you can wear over a tank top with a skirt, capris or pants to the beach, your farmer's market or garden party. photo by Interweave Press The openwork pattern makes for a very

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-68034599126107533882011-05-08T00:23:00.004-06:002012-01-23T23:25:30.376-07:00

And this is my second pattern for this Interweave Knits Summer 2011 issue: a Bistro Lace Stole. photo by Interweave Press This stole is KNIT not crocheted! The motifs are worked individually on double pointed needles and joined as you go => NO SEWING motifs together at the end! Yippee! photo by Interweave Press I always admire the many crochet motif stoles and even though I am an avid

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-75219725803566893392011-05-06T23:43:00.002-06:002011-05-29T23:49:41.853-06:00

While I was working on a couple of Fall/Winter designs that involve cables and bobbles and I was researching and surfing the web, I came across this really neat "trick" to speed up knitting bobbles. In summary: instead of turning your work to work a back row for your bobble and then turning your work back, you knit backwards for those few stitches with the right side always facing you. Here is

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-9191846637583504282011-04-23T23:43:00.001-06:002011-04-27T12:04:56.004-06:00

Here is a quick and easy way to "color" your Easter eggs to give them a more personal and unique look. You first boil your eggs and let them cool. Then take rubber bands, e.g. from your newspaper, and wrap 2 or 3 bands around your hard boiled egg. Wherever the rubber band makes solid (flat) contact with the egg, no coloring agent will get to the underlying shell and it will leave a white

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-53005253717290531992011-04-19T23:43:00.002-06:002011-05-03T00:11:09.891-06:00

Graduation ceremonies are just around the corner and it is high time to gear up for the festivities. I dove into my ribbon stash (yippee, a reason to explore my treasures!) and found 50 yds of double-faced feathered satin ribbon to make a spiral ribbon garland. I thought it would be a nice little change up from all the deadline knitting I have been doing over the past several weeks. Sewing

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-13800349572219639282011-03-21T23:23:00.027-06:002011-04-27T11:41:31.023-06:00

This design was inspired by my family’s love of the ocean and beach and comes in sizes 2T [4, 6, 8, 10, 12] (shown in size 4).  photo: Brandy Fortune With the simple chevron pattern and its white garter stitch rows I’ve tried to capture the waves’ white foam when they break and roll up onto the beach.   photo: Brandy Fortune The 3/4 sleeves and a generous seamless hood (well, there is a 3-

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-39614230143797835642011-03-07T08:10:00.008-07:002011-03-25T11:45:32.747-06:00

I've been working on a couple of non-blogable projects lately that are slated for magazines coming out in the Fall 2011 so that my blog has been a bit quiet But, as with any project that I like to work on, I've learned a few new things along the way. Today, I will share with you my discovery of the "Felted Join". One of my projects involved some super thick wool yarn. I have never before

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-75550826625900684312011-03-01T13:41:00.002-07:002011-04-27T15:25:07.236-06:00

When I need to increase a stitch within the body of a garment and want to control the direction of the added stitch, I resort to the Raised Increase technique. It increases a stitch by working into a stitch in the row below the current stitch, hence it's called a  "Raised Increase". There is a Right Raised Increase (RRI) and a Left Raised Increase (LRI) named for the side the increased stitch

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-92181637201567064402011-02-28T03:02:00.003-07:002012-01-23T23:26:00.350-07:00

Alrighty, the inaugural year of Project Yarnway over on Ravelry.com has come to an end with the official deadline to post your 5-piece collection by today, Februrary 28, 2011. Voting will start on March 1st and will last for 2 weeks. I broke the ice and went first on the Professional Runway with the following post: For this final challenge, I decided to explore the slip stitch technique in

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-72676784542624451122011-02-25T11:57:00.002-07:002012-01-23T23:26:51.055-07:00

I am so flattered by being picked for a Knitting Daily Blog entry titled: Fabric Engineering. It explains in more detail the shaped intarsia (or diagonal intarsia) technique that I've used for my Hourglass Pillows in the Interweave Knits Spring 2011 issue. Some nice illustrations help you visualize this neat technique besides a textual description.  And I LOVE the term "Fabric Engineer",

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-51572698781378573592011-02-21T16:39:00.001-07:002012-01-23T23:27:33.670-07:00

The slip stitch technique is most likely best know for its ability to allow a knitter to design some fancy color work that requires the knitter to work with only one color per row/round at a time - no stranded knitting required! I've already used this technique for my Chincoteague Cardigan (Interweave Knits Weekend 2010) and was looking forward to further explore its possibilities. One thing

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-34937395042348634072011-02-18T15:46:00.002-07:002012-01-23T23:28:12.635-07:00

Zooming right along with my second piece for my 5-piece collection for the final challenge of Project Yarnway over on Ravelry: Bobble-5 Slip stitch cables with bobbles in groups of 5 As you recall, I chose to investigate the slip stitch technique for a 5-piece hat/cap collection. My first hat, Flower Fez, used a "Linen Stitch" slip stitch and variegated yarn. This time, I wanted to explore

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-13191771891105960262011-02-14T23:23:00.004-07:002012-01-23T23:28:29.118-07:00

As usual, it is high time for me to get started on my entries for the final challenge of Project Yarnway. Even though I didn't physically knit anything yet, my mind and pencil have been busy with coming up with design ideas for the 5-piece challenge. It has been very educational to research slip stitch techniques and patterns (see previous post about my theme) and I found out, that I actually

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-87341955552052939212011-02-14T22:07:00.000-07:002011-02-14T22:07:51.559-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all! How could I let Valentine's Day pass without a craft project?! After doing lots of work for others over these past couple of weeks, it was time to spend an itsy bitsy time on me. :D I opened up my treasure box of beads (and I have quite a few... ehm...) and spent some time day dreaming about all the jewelry projects that are hiding in there, waiting to be discovered

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-64262240525380497272011-02-12T18:26:00.001-07:002012-01-23T23:22:53.574-07:00

Yippee, the preview is up for the Interweave Knits Spring 2011 issue and my Hourglass Pillows are part of the great pattern collection! :) "Hourglass Pillows": Interweave Knits Spring 2011 I love color work and I am always looking to learn new techniques or modernize the traditional designs. With these hourglass pillows, I believe I was able to combine both of those goals. And there are

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-74652585580116436462011-02-10T22:40:00.002-07:002012-01-23T23:29:01.426-07:00

What a cute pair of caps! It's a slip stitch pattern, knit with the same two colors but in reverse order. And look how different they are! It shows that it pays to play with your color combinations... Found somehow the time to complete two caps for my Community Knitting group besides all the other knitting and work projects crowding my time right now. :) Gotta fill in some blanks from the

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-3903250822557967782010-12-03T13:03:00.002-07:002011-02-16T15:06:31.213-07:00

Yippee, I've qualified for the final challenge of the "Project Yarnway" on Ravelry! For this final round the description reads: ...to design and produce a five piece collection. [..] The only stipulation is that the pieces must belong together in some way. We even get some extra time to complete this major assignment as it falls right onto the crazy Christmas crafting and holiday time. THANK YOU

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-76284595112573029142010-10-20T15:06:00.001-06:002010-10-31T16:33:47.255-06:00

I just love the Fall season because that means it's time for color work and cables. Yippee! When the new Project Yarnway September challenge "Life imitates Art" got posted, I had such a hard time deciding what piece of inspiration to choose... there were so many that I will have ideas and ideas for many years to come! :D Size modeled: 5-8 (shown on a 6 year old) I eventually settled on an 8th

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-32561250495507201812010-09-24T19:57:00.001-06:002010-10-03T20:13:26.884-06:00

Yippee! The preview for the Knit Simple Holiday 2010 issue is finally up and my turtle hot water bottle cozie made the cover! Knit Simple Holiday 2010, photo by Paul Amato The magazine will hit the newsstands on October 5, 2010. There are 3 designs (turtle, lady bug, bear) all worked in Lion Brand's Homespun that is machine washable. And from the reaction of my two boys - they should be great

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-62730900119803013532010-09-12T10:22:00.002-06:002010-10-03T20:09:29.736-06:00

Just like for writes, knit and crochet designers have to deal with (sometimes lots of) rejections. IT IS NOT PERSONAL !!! Even though I am a long-time knitter and crocheter and I get lots of uhs and ohs for my designs from family and friends (advice: take it with a grain of salt), I am a newbie at the publishing side of things. And when some of my first designs got accepted right off the bat, I

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-73308278342852695462010-09-09T15:53:00.002-06:002011-02-21T16:25:19.839-07:00

This is my first design published in a major knitting magazine: Interweave Knits Weekend 2010! Yippee! IW Knits Weekend 2010: Chincoteague Cardigan It’s a great jacket for your weekend activities knit with Lion Brand's Fisherman's Wool, making it very affordable. The background sports a “brick” pattern that makes for an entertaining knit and the mosaic technique pattern gives it a more

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-23827972983347805732010-09-07T01:26:00.002-06:002010-09-07T16:59:27.604-06:00

I thought I would venture into some simple lace knitting and came up with a useful little project: a headscarf. If you always wanted to try your hand on some lace but didn't want to commit to lace weight yarn, hours of concentrated work and a large scale project, then this might just be what the doctor prescribed: a small, airy headscarf that has only 2 repeating pattern rows and can be

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-58812368119713884742010-08-31T17:01:00.001-06:002010-09-04T17:09:37.068-06:00

Just had time for a quick little project to enter in this month’s Project Yarnway August Challenge. Project Yarnway August Challenge entry: The August challenge descriptions was: This month had a simple theme: school. I hope you were able to get creative and make something really interesting to show us within this broad theme. With school start just behind us, I quickly noticed that my young

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-30025691675681280562010-07-28T17:10:00.001-06:002010-09-04T17:30:40.567-06:00

Ah, a little breather between work, design submissions and proposals. And obviously it has to be filled with some crafting. :) I've bumped into a yarn sale a bit earlier in the year and picked up a couple of balls of this bright and fresh colored bulky yarn. It's Yarn Bee Melody Bulky Wool Blend (70% wool, 30% acrylic) in "Enchanting" (#120). What a nice yarn to work with! It's soft and glides

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-87858638377256953532010-07-24T16:57:00.001-06:002010-09-04T16:59:49.630-06:00

Yippee! This square was selected as a finalist! Will have to wait till Sept. 15 to find out if it was voted as one of the 10 winners… Entered in the Chain Reaction Afghan Project Contest on www.crochetme.com. You should go over there and check out the other entries… It is summer time, temperatures are soaring and I am longing for some cooling off. My thoughts wandered off to being on a

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-18281522675342471792010-06-22T01:56:00.001-06:002010-06-22T02:05:00.157-06:00

We've been busy bees over at Petite Purls to get the Summer 2010 issue up and running. And what fun patterns there are - AGAIN - and for FREE! This is the first time I’ve knit something for a boy for summer! Wow, I wonder why I haven’t done that earlier? This design was definitely inspired by my boys’ love for the aquarium and all the colorful fish. And I love the air-conditioning during a

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-85329909717323084942010-05-31T16:41:00.002-06:002010-09-04T16:56:48.479-06:00

Project Yarnway May Challenge Entry: The May challenge description was: This month, you were challenged to learn a new skill - and with that skill, design something that would be a good introduction to the skill for someone else. As a longtime knitter, crocheter, needlework, lace, beading, etc. multi-crafter it was challenging to find a technique that I haven’t tried yet. Especially because

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-21243872854367644222010-05-19T19:23:00.004-06:002010-05-30T09:02:05.818-06:00

I was so excited to find one of my necklace submissions for the Beadstar stringing contest selected as one of the 20 finalists in the "Designs with Heart" section: It's the lucky #13! "Ribbon Heart" - Designs with Heart You are invited to vote on the Beadstar site for you favorite design in 9 different categories. So head on over their and check them out. You can vote until June 9. It was a

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-68937688060090636922010-03-30T16:18:00.002-06:002010-09-04T16:39:57.989-06:00

Project Yarnway March Challenge entry over on Ravelry: 5Palmy Greeting - 5"x 6.5" card  The March challenge description was: Hello Designers, and welcome to the professional runway! This month, your challenge was to create a design using non-conventional materials in an innovative way. Up to 20% of your design could be made from conventional yarns - but I hope you didn’t play it safe. I’ve

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-82766130456570824682010-03-16T21:26:00.000-06:002010-03-16T21:26:49.587-06:00

Another round of great patterns for the young folks has been released by Petite Purls! So, head on over there and check out the Spring 2010 issue! :) My "Home Run" jersey design (shown in size 6) Pattern is written for sizes 2T, 4, 6, 8 and 10 The theme for this issue was "Going Green", meaning the designs should focus on organic, other natural yarns and recycled materials. I learned a lot

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-62618600916816262742010-03-16T21:21:00.001-06:002010-03-16T21:21:59.271-06:00

Who thought that the task of picking a "green" yarn would be such a learning experience?!  Photos by Ian Britton @ www.FreeFoto.com When I was looking for a "green" yarn for my "Home Run Jersey" submission for the Spring 2010 issue of Petite Purls, I didn't realize what it takes to make a yarn. Don't get me wrong, I've been knitting and crocheting for three decades (has it been that long already

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-5369559225154365502010-03-08T11:04:00.005-07:002010-05-23T23:53:55.934-06:00

Even though it's still officially winter I am so ready for Spring! I've made this card for my mom to send her a little bit of Spring her way.  Cherry Blossom Card with Envelope I know my mom will appreciate this card and the time spent making it, with her being a major crafter as well. Actually, I like the card so much that I have a hard time sending it off ! :) And isn't it nice to receive a

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-5865971753951526572010-02-28T22:40:00.003-07:002010-02-28T23:48:24.234-07:00

My oldest son is overdue for a sweater, especially after his younger brother got the Ryuu-ko sweater earlier in the season. Hm, do I detect some jealousy here? That's when I happened to bump into a new Ravelry group called "Project Yarnway" which is a year-long design competition with monthly design challenges a la famous Project Runway on tv. Just what the doctor prescribed to get me out of the

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-25747915591291479712010-02-22T00:24:00.001-07:002010-03-01T00:40:45.374-07:00

I am finally making good progress on my cable rib jacket that I started last October (free pattern: Cable & Rib Jacket by Debbie Bliss) . Things just got a wee bit hectic around the holiday season so that my own jacket was put on hold until calmer days. And now I've got to hurry up a bit so that the jacket gets done while it's still cold! I decided to go with the very affordable Lion Brand

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-74834490992643626322010-02-16T21:50:00.000-07:002010-03-01T00:41:43.097-07:00

I don't know if you heard about the miserable conditions on the Cheyenne River Reservation after a major snow storm hit the South Dakota region? I thought it was just fitting to attend my first Community Knitting event at a local yarn store benefiting the children at the Cheyenne River Reservation with knitting woolen mittens. Two pairs ready to go The yarn store, Shuttles, Spindles & Skeins (

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-12819361302997777892010-02-10T22:00:00.001-07:002010-03-01T01:13:39.803-07:00

Valentine is just around the corner and with two school aged boys now, our work was cut out for us to craft a valentine for their class mates (a total of 48 students!). 50+ candy airplanes ready to deliver a sweet valentine to class mates After scouring the web for a while we found this really neat candy airplane and my boys' hearts were set on it. Wow, what troopers the boys were! This was

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-88431455665860307682010-02-07T00:41:00.001-07:002010-03-01T00:48:00.204-07:00

I am excited to say that Petite Purls has accepted another of my designs for their Spring 2010 issue coming out in March! Unfortunately, I can't give you any hints about or sneak peaks of my design and we all will have to sit tight together for only a few more days. I am sure all the designs will again be great and just adorable. Sit tight and keep those knitting needles going!

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-82070913358668662292010-02-01T08:46:00.090-07:002010-05-23T23:57:16.117-06:00

I really needed a laptop sleeve to protect my laptop from all the scratches and scuff marks it was getting when traveling. But when I went to the stores, I could only find either mainly solid colored (boring) or funky colored sleeves which don't quite work in a business environment.  Diamond Back Laptop Sleeve (felted) W 12" x L 15.5" x D 1.5" (fits most laptops to 15")   Photo courtesy

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-63707214087627941672010-01-07T08:45:00.051-07:002010-02-01T09:44:22.589-07:00

A few weeks back I saw an obscure little post on Ravelry.com about Knit Picks starting an Independent Designer Program (IDP) and sent Stacey an email for some more information. She immediately got back to me (wow, what great customer service!) and I decided to submit a cap pattern that I've already experiemented with for the Knit Picks' team review. Downhill Skier Cap (pattern is only $1.99)

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-27090023381261907422009-12-26T08:46:00.001-07:002010-02-01T09:23:38.254-07:00

It has been a whirlwind these final days before the Christmas holidays! Besides the kids being home from school and all the Christmas preparations, some design submissions and proposals were due, and of course my software consulting business had some deadlines too. Now it is time to sit back, relax and play around with ideas that have been patiently waiting their turn to be put in yarn.

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-76594398501992970622009-12-16T09:40:00.002-07:002009-12-17T00:41:48.744-07:00

Yippee! The winter issue of Petite Purls is live and my first ever seamless, bottom-up, raglan sweater is part of it! The sweater is called "Ryuu-ko" which means "Dragon Child" in Japanese. The sweater is sized for 2T, 4, 6, 8, and 10 and can also be found on Ravelry. I was surprised how quickly this sweater knit up and when I was finished, I was finished. No sewing seams. Ah, that was really

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-57259176608634529602009-12-13T14:25:00.005-07:002010-03-16T11:34:30.934-06:00

It was high time to make my Christmas cards for this year! I've been turning over ideas in my head for the last couple of weeks until finally my creative juices had to be let out and I was in the right mood. For a whole morning I took over the dinner table and cut, folded, glued, and stamped. Wow, I really liked what came out of my session! Nearly too nice to send off... :) Origami inspired

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-68727120441125862362009-12-09T02:31:00.002-07:002009-12-16T02:43:33.389-07:00

This morning I woke up with an idea for a pearl necklace that would break the traditional strung pearl look a little bit. It's more modern twist on the strand of pearls. - And I had to try it out to see if it really would work in the real world. :) Sometimes what you imagine just doesn't look so nice in the "real world" and you've got to go back to the drawing board. But this design really

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-91689409821097943802009-12-07T02:17:00.001-07:002009-12-16T02:27:57.751-07:00

On one of my runs to the craft store I picked up this really nice Christmasy fabric remnant. It had the Christmas colors and a bit of glitter thread to make it special. Unfortunately it was not enough fabric for napkins... but then I remembered a beautiful book I once had borrowed from the local library on how to make fabric flowers. After a little searching I found my notes on the flower

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-24228928673881895312009-12-05T22:45:00.004-07:002010-03-02T09:44:39.083-07:00

Shown in size L After getting quite a few comments and requests for the pattern of my Tulip Cable Gloves (I love them! They are soooooo soft and silky, and have a great elegant sheen), I've finally put it together for sizes L (7.5" hand circumference) and M (7" hand circumference). It has been test knit in a couple of different yarns besides the Patons Silk Bamboo that I've used for the glove 

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-71648689840808696842009-11-26T21:18:00.002-07:002009-12-06T21:37:39.504-07:00

I thought, I would crochet a couple of Christmas ornaments for our tree this year and perhaps sell a few at an upcoming crafts fair. But I don't know what it was with me this year: none of the patterns I had or found seemed to be right! Ahhhh! They were either too busy so that you couldn't see the nice color of the underlying glass ornament or too simple that it was just not very, well,

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-52680264057057480202009-11-24T02:04:00.003-07:002009-12-16T02:13:29.434-07:00

I was a bit slow in making the second felted slipper since it shrank to a size that was a bit too small for me. Hence I wasn't in a big hurry to finish them. I would say it fits comfortably a ladies size 7 - 7.5 and I am an 8 - 9... But it was time to close out the project and after adding a nice silver metal buckle they look really nice. My oldest son has his eyes on them but first we'll

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-17576161183278972202009-11-20T01:46:00.008-07:002009-12-16T02:02:50.785-07:00

When I was unearthing our painting things for the Santas and Nutcrackers I came across an old pair of children ice skates that I've laid aside a couple of years ago for a special kind of Christmas wreath decoration. I've seen this idea quite a while back in an old fashioned Christmas book and thought that that was a great idea. Especially since my whole family loves to ice skate. I've never

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-86917358467736454702009-11-16T02:47:00.024-07:002009-12-20T23:51:38.274-07:00

Alright, now or never! For the last two years I've been buying these really pretty Christmas ribbon rolls in the after Christmas sales with the thought that one Christmas I will make something out of them. My drawer with the ribbon rolls was now full to the top and something needed to happen. But what? I mentioned my dilemma to my mom on the phone and she remembered making once a wreath out

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-54611929835574436252009-11-10T01:21:00.001-07:002009-12-20T23:05:40.911-07:00

For the last couple of days my oldest son and I have been busy painting and crafting Santas and Nutcracker figurines for an upcoming craft fair. It was a real assembly line with him painting all the solid colors and me adding all the embellishments. For a couple of days we had Santa and Nutcracker parts all over our place until they were put together. We had a great time working together on

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-34398311969341773152009-11-05T00:32:00.002-07:002009-12-16T01:17:46.815-07:00

Are you like me? I always have to dig to the bottom of my purse to find my lip balm and sometimes, I can't find it and end up buying another one just to find the first one the very next time? I finally had enough and came up with a lip balm cover that I can attach to my purse's zipper, handle ring, belt loop or my key chain. Ah, what a difference this little invention makes. I actually own a

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-81953944691077493992009-10-26T22:48:00.001-06:002009-11-16T23:01:52.282-07:00

I was looking through my yarn stash when I bumped into 6 skeins of Yarn Bee Mosaic Twist "Iced Fruit". I just love those colors! But what was I thinking when I bought only 6 skeins... must have been one of those "I must have this yarn/color and will figure out something with it later" moments. :) But "only time can tell" really came true because today I happened upon a neat looking cap

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-38079285494262181152009-10-19T22:35:00.004-06:002009-12-16T00:29:41.925-07:00

I just came home from a errand run during which I saw this lady wear a cool looking ribbon scarf. I remembered my stash of similar looking ribbon yarn and had to try to recreate it. After a couple of trial and errors I found a nice combo that works for me. But oh boy, was this ribbon yarn (Bernat Matrix) hard to work with - no quick knitting here (or many scarfs for the crafts fair). I've

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-66631634267998859802009-10-14T22:18:00.004-06:002009-11-16T22:34:49.933-07:00

What was I thinking when I got all excited and aggreed to participate in a holiday crafts fair!? Yep, I am going to participate not just visit... Yikes! My friend who reeled me in has her kids attend the Shining Mountain Waldorf School which holds an annual winter crafts fair. This year it's called the "KingWinter Faire and Holiday Bazaar" and will happen on December 5. Gotta figure out what to

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-85298078120840208632009-10-12T12:57:00.006-06:002009-10-12T13:14:46.474-06:00

While working on a new submission for Petite Purls my mind was wandering a bit to come up with a use for a few dark brown stained wooden frame "beads" that I've picked up a while ago...A new vision of the traditional Turquoise necklaceWith the first snow fall for this season reaching our door steps, the warm wood "beads" and fresh Turquoise colored cubes (dyed Jasper) were the right "medicine"

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-7017212208631210662009-10-07T22:15:00.000-06:002009-11-16T22:16:14.801-07:00

Boy, I've been busy with so many things and always for others that I've finally told myself, "Time Out! My turn." I've noticed in horror that my wardrobe doesn't sport any knit jacket or vest! Everybody around me is sporting my knit or crochet garmets or accessories! What about myself?! And then the trouble began... what to knit for myself. The type was decided: Jacket for everyday wear. But

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-68582212421422537122009-10-05T13:37:00.007-06:002009-10-05T14:07:44.964-06:00

Alright, no more denial: fall is here and the summer is over.The leaves have turned color in a hurry and set the neighborhood ablaze. It's like a painter went to work and dropped color splashes all over the place. :)I better take a hint and hurry up with my cold weather projects. First one up: house slippers.Found this easy looking, quick to make pattern on the web and Ravlery.Added some mohair

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-67984836287512990512009-09-27T21:44:00.008-06:002009-10-05T14:09:47.901-06:00

I needed a break from knitting and crocheting swatches and putting some submission packages together for some deadlines.That's when my son saw me browse some Amigurumi patterns and he was just hooked by this cute little fox. And the pattern is free too!Finished size: ~4.5"/11 cmAs I happen to have some orange yarn left-overs from the Boy's Airplane Vest this should be a quick one to make.I've

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-69522613847802640982009-09-17T21:24:00.001-06:002009-09-27T22:06:14.396-06:00

Yep, I had to look up this word as well. It is the name of the traditional 3 (tri) cornered (corn) hat worn during colonial times.Today my 2nd grader's class put on a short re-enactment of the signing of the constitution and the teacher asked them to be dressed somewhat in that period to make it more fun.Thanks to the internet I was able to find easy instructions for a self-made tricorn hat made

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-38113169192977577692009-09-16T21:33:00.008-06:002009-12-06T00:08:32.443-07:00

It finally has arrived: my very own first published knitting pattern - Kick It Up in the Petite Purls' Fall 2009 online issue. And it's yours for free! The sizes are: 2T, 4, 6, 8, and 10. I still can't believe that I was given the chance to knit a design for Petite Purls. Yippee! I feel so honored. Kick It Up It has been a great experience and such a pleasure to work with the Petite Purls

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-60596427038455785092009-09-03T23:55:00.003-06:002009-09-15T01:02:54.341-06:00

After a nice, slow-paced summer with short trips here and there, lots of family and friends time, and finally some hot summer weather, my soul had a chance to refuel and the batteries were recharged to tackle the fast approaching back-to-school madness...It was the silence before the storm...Incredible summer sunsetsAnd madness it was!Crazy summer weather: thunder, rain, sunshine, and rainbows

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-84706737257391529612009-08-04T17:26:00.002-06:002009-09-15T01:03:49.253-06:00

It was Sunday morning 7 am, the house was still nice and quiet, and I realized that I needed a necklace/earring set for an outdoor BBQ party later that afternoon. Nothing in my jewelry drawer quite fit to the skirt I was planning to wear.Perhaps a design idea that I've been carrying around with me for the last couple of weeks, after falling for some outrageous shell beads, could work...1.5" - 2"

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-22411688177815280532009-07-23T22:04:00.004-06:002009-09-14T12:27:23.377-06:00

Oh, how wonderful this project turned out - and what a great learning experience it was! Well, it's not quite over yet because I've just submitted my final design package and will see what changes Joan, the tech editor, needs me to take care of... fascinating...The Fall 2009 issue will be live sometime in mid September.Make a note of it!I've never realized how much calculation goes into

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-1379296645002213952009-07-17T17:08:00.000-06:002009-08-04T17:21:21.186-06:00

I was totally surprised and blown away by what has just arrived in the mail for my birthday! Mom, thank you, thank you, thank you!Look at what was spilling out of this box!10 skeins of off white kid mohair, 8 skeins of black kid mohair, 8 skeins of fancy novelty yarn and some basic black 100% merino wool... my head is already spinning with all the possibilities...And to top it all off, my sister

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-28089052492616059102009-07-15T00:32:00.003-06:002009-08-04T16:52:59.758-06:00

My own birthday is just around the corner so that I decided to make something for myself. What a novel idea!Doesn't that happen to you too, that you always make something for others and totally forget yourself?Well, since summer temperatures have finally, finally arrived after a wet and cool Spring, I decided to give a bikini top a shot. Not the kind you go into the water with, but for some sun

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-39273003590177564892009-07-06T10:50:00.002-06:002009-09-14T12:22:47.815-06:00

I am so excited that a design proposal for the fall 2009 issue of the new online knitting magazine Petite Purls has been accepted!Sorry, can't say more about it but it has a really nice classy look to it.Gotta go knit, write pattern for multiple toddler sizes and take some cute pictures...

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-47864310274151821572009-06-27T23:33:00.003-06:002009-08-04T00:31:18.460-06:00

Besides Christmas time, this is the crafting high season for me to cover all the special days in the family: from Mother's Day all the way through a couple of birthdays in the family until mid summer when I can come up for a short breather before I start thinking about fall/winter.simple garter stitchI happened to pick up a stash of this great water-colored fringed ribbon yarn (Phentex Yarns

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-18401220679497153782009-06-19T18:37:00.000-06:002009-06-27T18:41:11.011-06:00

Since joining Ravelry at the beginning of the year, I’ve been surprised to see how much time I can find for crafting! A half an hour here, an hour there… It just proves to show that if you really put your mind to it, you can do it. :) Since then I’ve been constantly busy with one project or another so that my two young boys (4 and 7) started to get curious about it and asked lots of questions.

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-50333996689139901142009-06-04T15:55:00.007-06:002010-03-16T11:37:47.763-06:00

Boy, it has been busy these last few weeks: Mother's Day, School End and my mom's birthday... and coming are Father's Day, my sister's birthday, my nephew's birthday, 4th of July,... For some inspiration, I checked the CPS sketch of the week and I thought it would work well with some papers I had in my stash. CPS#118 finished card Who would have thought that my multi-colored RicRac would be

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-24814384718888296342009-05-30T23:38:00.009-06:002009-05-31T02:04:16.577-06:00

When I saw the "Estonian Triangular Summer Shawl" in the July/August 2008 Piecework magazine, I knew I had to knit this one day. The shawl is actually a pattern from the book "Knitted Lace of Estonia: Techniques, Patterns, and Traditions" by Nancy Bush.Finished modified summer shawl Unfortunately, I didn't carry any lace yarn in my stash so I had to be patient. In April 2009, I got lucky when I

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-11016846516147486342009-05-28T19:54:00.007-06:002010-03-16T11:38:33.232-06:00

My version: a "Thank You" Card ToteWhat perfect timing for Splitcoaststampers's newsletter to show up in my inbox yesterday with a great idea for a Teacher's Thank You gift: a 3"x3" Note Card Tote. I was a bit in a crunch because our school district has released new regulations about teacher gifts in order to level the playing field between wealthy and not so wealthy schools as well as to

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-72222467712750810282009-05-22T20:25:00.004-06:002009-05-24T10:33:18.352-06:00

I can’t believe it: my first ever contest submission (Fall Waves Scarf) actually won 3. place out of thousands of entries from the US and Canada in the Vanna's Choice Contest by Michaels!!! It's a surprisingly easy pattern that even beginners will be able to knit and more advanced knitters will enjoy the look as well.I am so excited! This feels great! And the $100 Michaels (US craft store chain

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-12820321203085235252009-05-21T22:04:00.006-06:002009-05-24T10:32:22.889-06:00

It is that time of the year again where my calendar fills with end-of-school year events faster than I can blink. And with that them come the never ending requests for donations and teacher gifts.This year my young son is graduation from his half-day preschool to kindergarten in fall so that I thought I should make something special for his 3 teachers and the lady director of the school instead

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-60326912218997385572009-05-16T22:36:00.001-06:002010-03-16T11:38:17.521-06:00

Lucky me! I've knit a light rose colored Estonian lace shawl for my Mom's birthday and needed a card to go with it. Quite a while ago, I've bought this one sheet of "Silhouettes - Pink Paper" by Sandylion Sticker Designs without any project in mind. I just liked the ladies. :) When I saw this week's CPS card sketch I thought this paper could make it work, although I did turn the sketch on its

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-50726506246877147602009-05-05T22:58:00.002-06:002010-03-16T11:38:03.646-06:00

Ah, this week's CPS card sketch #114 CPS#114 gave me the template I was looking for to capture an idea for a card that has been floating in my mind for a while - and there you have it - my Mother's Day card for my mom! finished card I've always wanted to try out the "Iris Folding" technique where you layer folded pieces of paper to create a camera iris look. I bumped into the Iris Folding

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-36519502960798058692009-04-20T21:16:00.007-06:002010-03-16T11:35:39.791-06:00

Only recently did I bump into the Card Positioning Systems (CPS) website on one of my web surfing excursions. What a great site! I can highly recommend it. I decided to give it a try with the CPS#112 challenge: CPS#112 sketch It seemed like a great sketch for a beginner card maker and I had the perfect occasion in mind for it: Mother's Day for my little sister. Thanks to the CPS website, I was

Nikki's Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324245481842866071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957245724517848909.post-34340730359989142322009-04-12T16:44:00.000-06:002009-05-31T00:41:18.431-06:00

Welcome to my blog about all the different crafts that I love and learn.I am a mulit-crafter which seems to be a somewhat dying breed these days. It's not that I set out with a plan to become a multi-crafter but it seems that the things I was interested in making myself always required that one-more-skill... and so over the years I ended up with some nice skills in knitting, crocheting, tatting,

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